Marauders Forever
by Clear-as-crystal
Summary: How can I put this...-thinks- I suck at summaries but please RR? For me? Hmmm?


Disclaimer - I own none of these characters, 'cept the annoying blonde nurse. She's mine.

A/N - I know that it is highly unlikely that these pairings would happen, but just bear with it please and don't give me a load of reviews complaining. I chose these ones because they are the only characters I could think of which knew Remus Lupin.

Finally, I know this story is very sappy, I'm not sure what I was on when I wrote it.

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Marauders Forever

"Mr and Mrs Potter? Mr Weasley? Miss Granger? Mr Lupin will see you now."

Four haggard - looking young adults, one with messy black hair and bottle green eyes behind his glasses, two redheads and another with brown, curly hair looked up from their conversation and Harry smiled wanly. "Thankyou." he said quietly, nodding to the blonde nurse who had given the message before rising to his feet along with Ron and Hermione, a couple very much in love but not yet married. Harry looked down at his own beautiful, red haired wife, "You don't have to come in, Ginny." he told her. She gazed at him and took his hand, "I want to, Harry." she replied gently.

They followed the pretty nurse along a dimly lit corridor with solid walls and no windows. Harry shuddered, the smell of antiseptic filling his nose and mouth, then felt Ginny squeeze his hand reassuringly. When they finally reached the end of the corridor the nurse turned to the group and spoke in hushed tones, "He's very ill, and-"

"We are fully aware of his condition, nurse..." Harry paused whilst checking her name tag, "Helen. Now can we see him?"

Nurse Helen regarded him coldly and unlocked the heavy door, admitting the four before closing it with a clang that made Hermione jump slightly. They surveyed the dank cell, indeed that was the only word fitting enough to describe it. The blank, windowless walls were sturdily built and the light, coming from two candle, was poor. Chained hand and foot to a low bed in the centre lay a prone, painfully thin man of around forty-five, though he seemed much older due to his grey hair and line face. They stood, as if stunned, and then Harry broke the spell, "Professor Lupin!" he cried, running to the man's side. He shook him lightly, "Professor! Remus!" he called softly, getting no response but for a feeble toss of the head. After a moment's thought he decided to try the werewolf's childhood nickname, "Moony...Moony!" he whispered, shaking him again.

Remus stirred, and his grey, haunted eyes flickered open then squinted as he tried to focus on Harry and the other occupants of the room. "James." he murmured, and a slight frown crossed his brow. Harry felt a lump rise in his throat, but he shook his head and smiled. "No Remus, it's me Harry. Harry Potter."

The former professor blinked, and his eyes cleared. "So it is." he said weakly, "How nice of you to come."

"I... We, wanted to be here for you." came the reply.

"Thankyou, but I'm not sure you'll want to be here by the end. Who's that back there?" he queried, lifting his head slightly as the trio stepped into the circle of light surrounding the bed.

"It's Hermione, Hermione Granger." Hermione told him. "Soon to be Mrs Weasley." added Ron proudly.

"Ah, Ron, Hermione Two of my favourite students." said Remus, smiling faintly. "Good luck."

"Thankyou, sir." they muttered as he turned his head to look at Ginny. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure." he stated, looking a little confused.

"Virginia, Remus. Ginny Weasley. Well, Potter, actually." she corrected, blushing.

Remus nodded, "Ah yes, I remember you. Good catch." he commented, causing Ginny to turn a deeper shade of crimson.

He laughed then, but it soon turned into a tearing, hacking cough that sent shivers up and down his entire skeletal frame. Harry and Ron supported him whilst Ginny and Hermione held his hands as if hoping to divert some of his suffering to themselves. After a few minutes he could relax and sighed. "It's close." he said simply.

Hermione choked back a sob, and buried her head in Ron's shoulder. Ron, typically, went bright red to the roots of his flaming hair but lovingly embraced her as she cried.

"All this over little old me?" asked Remus, one eyebrow raised and some semblance of amusement on his pale face. "You've known for years that this would happen."

Harry glanced at Hermione, who looked at the bedridden man and wailed, throwing herself over his chest and hugging him as tightly as she dared. He looked surprised, then gently put his shaking hands on her hair, the chains making an unpleasant grating noise as he moved. Harry wrinkled his nose in mild disgust, "Are they really-"

"Necessary?" came Remus's muffled voice from over the top of Hermione's head, "Oh yes. Very much so."

"Oh."

Another shudder passed through Remus, but he wasn't coughing this time. "Move." he told Hermione through gritted teeth. Hermione scrambled up, clasping his hand briefly before walking to Ron, who held her protectively in his arms.

The bright full moon was up, and Remus was gasping for breath, his entire form rigid and shaking. Only Harry remained by his side.

"Get over there with the others." Remus told him painfully.

"No!" replied Harry, catching hold of his hand and kneeling next to the bed, "I won't leave you alone."

Remus stared at him with a hopeless look in his eyes before another, more violent tremor seized him, making him clench his jaw. Another, and then another followed, each shaking the frail man so badly that he would have fallen from the bed had the chains not been holding him down. Suddenly bones cracked, and his mouth opened to give vent to an animal-like shriek of pure agony. His back arched and Harry winced, turning his head. Ginny and Hermione were both crying and Ron, brave Ron, had his eyes resolutely closed whilst comforting the two women.

The young man turned his attention back to Remus, and he could feel the hair growing on the hand he held tightly in his own. He looked, to see a fully formed werewolf, but it was panting in short, ragged breaths. Braving the risk of a bite and ignoring Hermione and Ginny's squeaks of protest, he reached forward and stroked the trembling head. The werewolf gazed at him with wide eyes and as he whimpered slightly Harry realised that it was Remus, not the wolf, staring back at him. Then the wolf was still.

"He's ... gone." whispered Ron, still trying to comfort the now hysterical women. Harry hadn't moved, he didn't move for some minutes but kept his hand on the werewolf's brow, feeling in grow cold beneath his palm.

He rose, and Ginny, who had now calmed down, stepped forward to slip in under his arm. Unconsciously perhaps, he pulled her close.

"Goodbye Remus, my friend." she heard him whisper.

Hermione and Ron approached the opposite side of the bed, "You were the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher we ever had." said Hermione in a wavering voice, choked with tears.

"The best." echoed Ron quietly, "Rest in peace."

"Goodbye," finished Ginny, then, doing what none of the others could bring themselves to do, she reached forward and closed the dead werewolf's vacant eyes. "Go with God." she whispered, "And all our love."

Harry choked at that, and Ginny looked a little alarmed until she saw tears running silently down his cheeks. She drew away from him and beckoned to Ron and Hermione before all three left the room.

A few minutes later they were joined by Harry. His face was tear stained but calm, and he was smiling. He placed an arm around his wife's shoulders and sighed deeply. "Let's go." he said.

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The room was silent, and the rapidly cooling body was locked in rigor mortis. In the flickering candlelight a small card, and photograph, could be seen. A faded picture of three fifteen year old Gryffindors, all waving madly. In the right bottom hand corner of the picture glinted a message written in smooth, cursive handwriting: '**May 1976'**

'Moony, Padfoot and Prongs.

Marauders Forever'


End file.
